Religions of Vard
There is a wide variety of different religious faiths on Vard and the surrounding planes, each with its own unique beliefs, hierarchy, and followers. For more in-depth descriptions of each pantheon, see their individual wiki pages - this page only serves as a brief overview of each faith. Animism Animism is the belief that every object, place, and creature possesses a unique spiritual essence. These spirits must be co-existed with, as they are dynamic forces that shape the world around them. Few of the mortal races on Vard follow this belief. However, there are a handful that do, most notably centaurs, firbolgs, and minotaurs. The Deep Ones The Deep Ones are an ancient and evil pantheon, worshiped only by cults and the denizens of the Underdark. The Deep Ones themselves hail from the Void, and of the few who are ever blessed with visions of these ancient entities, fewer still keep their sanity. Those on the surface of Vard revile those who worship the Deep Ones, and will openly (and with the acceptance of the surrounding population) persecute them. The Elemental Lords The Lord of Light (the New Faith) The Lord of Light (Rh'lysis) is a newly worshiped deity, and sits opposed to the Great Other, who must not be named, in a dualistic pantheon. Few worship Him as of now, but as the religion spreads east and more and more convert, religious violence is sure to follow - His worshipers rarely tolerate the worship other 'false' gods. While the number of worshipers is currently small, it increases with each passing day. The largest body of His worshipers is humans living in the Ashlands of Amias, who work tirelessly to spread His light throughout the land. The Nine (the Old Faith) The Nine are the traditional and most widely accepted gods on Vard. They are worshiped all over Vard, with large bodies of worshipers from most races. However, the number of worshipers is slowly decreasing, as those in the west convert to the worship of the Lord of Light. These conversions will surely set the stage for a global religious conflict, as the Nine themselves are slowly replaced and forgotten. The Northern Gods The history of the northern pantheon is complex, and is not all written here. This section only applies for the current northern pantheon, and not any of the older ones. The current pantheon of northern gods is a new creation, a combination of the Ironborn and Highlander pantheons. These two pantheons were merged by a magical treaty signed by the King of the Iron Sea and by the Highlander King, in an attempt to foster peace between the two long warring peoples. The Old Gods The Old Gods are a strange, ancient pantheon, made up of fey creatures and the immortal spirits of the heroes of an age long since passed. They are worshiped on Vard by dryads and small elven clans living in the north. The Southern Gods The southern gods are an old pantheon, though they are not worshiped by many outside of the Southern Isles and Grecia, with notable exceptions being the Iziran Archipelago and the Romali trading republics in Amias.